Shiloh Shelter

Help this inspiring 15 year old save innocent baby girls in India!

Catching up

In the past 3 months I....

Received a ton of sweet letters

Was a maid of honor in my best friend's wedding (Katelyn James Photography)

Went to Fort Benning, GA for family weekend

Went back to GA a month later for GRADUATION

Oh yeah, and THIS (Stacey Dinch Photography)

And now I'm quitting my job, transferring schools, and moving to Colorado Springs, CO!

Let the journey begin :)

God is really amazing me right now!

I don't want to go into too much detail, because some things should remain personal,

but God is working in my life right now in ways that I have never seen. 

While Zach has been in basic training I have been so persistent in prayer. Praying

over and over multiple times a day for myself, Zach, and our relationship. I am

absolutely overwhelmed by how much God is doing in our lives and in our

relationship right now. He is wiping out every single road block, stressor, or burden

that has ever been in our relationship and He is working so thoroughly in both of us. 

Zach and I are only able to communicate through letters right now, and it always takes

him much longer to receive mine that it does for me to receive his. And it's just

amazing to see how everything that has been on my heart, Zach has been praying for

before he ever knew it was on my heart. And how everything that has been on Zach's heart,

I have been praying for. It's like God is communicating to both of us about each other

without us even knowing it, and then in the letters we are able to see it. And on top of

that, every single prayer that the two of us have prayed has been answered. Immediately. 

Every single one. And there have been a lot!  I don't even have the words to describe how

much God is overwhelming us, growing us, teaching us, and working in us. 

Totally and completely amazed. 

"Strong complementarian women combine things the world cannot explain: a sweet, tender, kind, loving, submissive, feminine beauty, with massive steel in their backs and theology in their brains."

-John Piper

Never lose trust

First phone call!

I just got my very first phone call from Zach!

And the last phone call for quite a while. 

I was so shocked to see his name on my phone that

I thought I was hallucinating for a minute!

It was only a few minutes, but it was nice to hear

his voice. He's at reception right now where he's up for 20 hours

a day and barely gets any sleep. He's there until next Friday

and then he goes to basic. He said he got stamps/letter

material and is going to start writing me as many letters as he can :)

So happy to hear from him and hear him say

he loves and misses me. Missing him so much.

The time has come

After so many years, months, weeks, and days of waiting

Zach is finally at Basic Training in Georgia. We said our goodbyes

last night and he was up early this morning with the rest of the recruits

getting ready for his flight. Luckily I got to talk to him all throughout 

the day as he was traveling, but he was scheduled to arrive at the base

a couple hours ago where they must have taken his cell phone since I 

haven't heard from him in a while. 

We both knew this day was coming, but I don't think

there's really any way to prepare for something like this.

He'll be gone for 4 months. We'll be able to write letters back

and forth and hopefully I can get a few phone calls. Since they allow

him to go off of base on Sundays for church I'm hoping he can sneak

in a few extra calls ;) (I'm a bad influence, I know).

It's definitely weird without my best friend here to see

everyday, and it's even weirder that the next time I see

him it's going to be Fall, it's going to be cold outside, and he'll

of graduated and become a soldier!

I know the key to sanity while he's gone is to keep busy so that's my plan.

While I'm really sad that he's not here, I'm so proud of him and what he's doing. 

He's been patiently waiting for this for 2 years and he's

finally able to go after his dream. I know he's going to succeed

and work his absolute hardest, and I'm going to

be praying for him and encouraging him with letters everyday. 

Here's a few pictures of our last few days together :)

 

Bridal Shower

Last weekend I hosted my best friend's bridal shower. 

It was a lot of work, but with some help from the other bridesmaids

we made it look awesome! I didn't take any pictures myself

because I wanted to enjoy the party, but these are from Stacey's

camera that was passed around during the party. We didn't

get pictures of all the decor, but it was the cutest country

theme. Everyone had a great time!